Suvarnabhumi To Provide Waiting Room For Airport Shop Stealers

[StatlerandWaldorf]

I normally pass through the airport at least twice a month and rarely buy anything, I just steal it

I was joking by the way, I do not steal anything, just in case anyone out there takes everything too seriously.

I will not even go into any of the shops in the airport now, let alone buy anything. It is mostly a rip off anyway, I have bought things tax paid in the U.S that are considerably cheaper than they are 'duty free' in swampy.

[brahmburgers]

If word gets around (about Tony getting rich so easily, and having zero legal repercussions for his multiple extortions) ,this could possibly be a lure to job seekers.

I can picture the following ad in the classified ad section of the Colombo Times or city newspapers at other distant shores:

Wanted: Slick Talker. Men or women fluent in English (as Thailand has few fluent English speakers) to work with airport authorities in Thailand. Must be well groomed, but moral scruples not necessary. Must also be charming, discreet, affable and convincing. Work on commission, but earnings can exceed $30,000/week if diligent. Apply at any Duty Free shop outlets at Suwanboom airport. This is a growth industry, with future possibilities at any of the numerous deluxe/vanity/elite shops which foreigners frequent at Thai tourist areas.

Edited August 10, 2009 by brahmburgers

[EndofDays]

Awaiting the arrival of the representative from the British Embassy

I love Red Dwarf.....I hate corruption.

[brahmburgers]

Awaiting the arrival of the representative from the British Embassy

I love Red Dwarf.....I hate corruption.

That's the perfect photo to go along with this story. Great!

[asiawatcher]

Judging by the black uniformed - red two way radio'd Thai's now standing out side neraly every Duty Free, they may be taking this a bit more seriously. King Power has removed most of their signage now (no wonder) even though they are not (sic) responsible. It was however noticeable this week a great deal of absence in general of shoppers passing by. Shop assistants standing in groups looking forlorn. Perhaps the lesson will be hard but justified.

AoT should also take responsibility of what happens within its premises. To ignore it or disavow responsibility is normal - but when the rent does not get paid perhaps they may think twice. Keep the word out there - don't buy Duty Free in Thailand until further notice. Let the Thai's then take action against those responsible. Paying for freedom? Is that not extortion in any book of law? So why is this guy not in a Court answering and naming the brown shirted Mafia involved yet?

[bangkok101]

well folks; guess AoT, KP, and whoever else is involved has screwed things up REAL good. I recently took a flight out from BKK airport and felt it was too risky to venture into the duty free shops and thus avoided going into Kings Power. They will continue to lose sales based on the warnings and publicity. It is just too risky as we all know how corrupt this entire nation is! I for one will NEVER set foot into ANY shop in bkk airport, the airport AND the country is going down the toilet! The airport and the LOST (land of smiling thieves) is DONE....done by their own ineptness and greed!

[tavarich]

I normally pass through the airport at least twice a month and rarely buy anything, I just steal it

I was joking by the way, I do not steal anything, just in case anyone out there takes everything too seriously.

I will not even go into any of the shops in the airport now, let alone buy anything. It is mostly a rip off anyway, I have bought things tax paid in the U.S that are considerably cheaper than they are 'duty free' in swampy.

Thats the best idea yet. just walk past these shops, lets turn the shop area into a ghost town. Problem solved.

[caf]

Waiting room is an interesting name for a holding cell. In a waiting room one is free to come and go as one pleases......I wonder how that's going to cum across at Stalag Swampie?

The title of the thread says it all doesnt it?

Waiting for "stealers"

Not the accused, oh no. Automatically guilty.

It's hurting now though. Have you seen the virtually empty shops? Perhaps farang as not so stupid after all.

[jfchandler]

No no... you guys are getting it wrong about the "waiting room"...

The "waiting room" is really Tony's new office. They (AOT) didn't think it was fair to have him hanging around outside the terminal. So they're giving him a desk and phone and a metal hook attached to the wall, so the handcuffed prisoners can be properly secured. And of course, the requisite ATM machine for payment of fines...

[spidermike007]

This is one of those posts that gets right to the heart of an issue that seems to really bother alot of ex-pats, who are

exposed to the corruption here. I have read many of the replies, and there seems to be a sense of resignation. How

can anything change? Well, it is changing throughout the region. Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and Vietnam are making

serious efforts to root out the corruption. Officials, CEO's, and people in positions of authority and power are getting

arrested, and sentenced. Of course, that seems almost impossible here, but I do hope it happens. I guess the aspect that

is not getting mentioned much, is why Thailand has so little interest in addressing it's staggering level of corruption. Malaysia

has set up a corruption commission, and is making DAILY arrests of top officials, ministers, local politicians, and businessmen. Indonesia

has set up a corruption commission, and so far their antigraft commission has achieved a 100-percent conviction rate in 86 cases of bribery

and graft related to government procurements and budgets. And where is Thailand in all of this. Why aren't men like Newin, and others, who

are coming up with expensive schemes to line their pockets being arrested, and tried? Why is the CEO of King Power still employed? Why is the

Police Captain in charge of the airport security, who appears to be involved in the King Power scam, still in his position? Does anyone really think

there is even a chance that the King Power scheme is not real? That they are arresting only guilty shoplifters? Does all King Power have to do is

post one video on the internet, of a guilty party, for all of us to let them off the hook? Is that all it takes? Even India is getting actively involved

in tackling corruption. When was the last time we heard of a government minister, or top official, or corporate CEO being arrested on corruption charges,

here in Thailand? There was a recent story of jet ski operators in Koh Samui, extorting $1,000's of dollars out of tourists, with the threat of,

and occasionally acts of violence, right on the beach in front of dozens of tourists, for supposedly getting a scratch on a jet ski. When one tourist

caught this on video, and presented it to the authorities, the culprits were confronted, and forced to a pay a fine of 1,000 baht! I am sure they

have not stopped laughing since the incident. Unless Thailand gets serious, and starts introducing fines and jail sentenced that are in proportion

to the crime, nobody will take them seriously. Thailand will continue to be the laughing stock of the world. They will continue to be considered

"that 3rd world country with so much promise, that could not do ANYTHING, to help itself". Or, "the country that always shoots itself in the foot".

Thailand is rapidly approching a point of being way past redemption. If nobody does something truly gutsy or courageous, the time will pass, for

Thailand to turn things around. History may show Thailand as having achieved it's greatest apex of development in 2000-2005. History may show

it being all downhill from there. The Thai people nor the Thai government seem to have no realization of how serious things are, and how perilous a

time this is for the nation. Very, very, very few people here seem to get it. A country can only make so many mistakes before the world leaves it

behind. Especially when neighbors like Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, and others are making so much progress, and trying so hard. This makes

the lack of effort here seem all the more staggering, and shocking. Someone needs to act. So what if jobs are lost. So what if heads roll. So what if

people in power are humiliated, and their lives are ruined. So what. It is not too late for Thailand, but the time when it is, is rapidly approaching. Change

is hard. Progress is difficult. But, not impossible. Thailand is not beyond redemption. There are many good people here who would like to see things

different. Conviction, with fines of 500,000 baht and up, and jail terms of 5-10 years is a good place to start. Tony, of course would be a great example

for a first conviction. I would suggest a fine of 2,000,000 baht, and a jail term of 20 years for him. He deserves it. He earned it.

[Bluelotus]

Sri Lankan Tony was spotted in Chiang Mai last week , he was working with CM imm. officials a few years ago looks like he got sent back to the "minors" , He is married to a Thai lady whose brother is an imm. official in CM .

[sangfroid]

Awaiting the arrival of the representative from the British Embassy

[Mobi]

This is one of those posts that gets right to the heart of an issue that seems to really bother alot of ex-pats, who are

exposed to the corruption here. I have read many of the replies, and there seems to be a sense of resignation. How

can anything change? Well, it is changing throughout the region. Malaysia, Indonesia, India, and Vietnam are making

serious efforts to root out the corruption. Officials, CEO's, and people in positions of authority and power are getting

arrested, and sentenced. Of course, that seems almost impossible here, but I do hope it happens. I guess the aspect that

is not getting mentioned much, is why Thailand has so little interest in addressing it's staggering level of corruption. Malaysia

has set up a corruption commission, and is making DAILY arrests of top officials, ministers, local politicians, and businessmen. Indonesia

has set up a corruption commission, and so far their antigraft commission has achieved a 100-percent conviction rate in 86 cases of bribery

and graft related to government procurements and budgets. And where is Thailand in all of this. Why aren't men like Newin, and others, who

are coming up with expensive schemes to line their pockets being arrested, and tried? Why is the CEO of King Power still employed? Why is the

Police Captain in charge of the airport security, who appears to be involved in the King Power scam, still in his position? Does anyone really think

there is even a chance that the King Power scheme is not real? That they are arresting only guilty shoplifters? Does all King Power have to do is

post one video on the internet, of a guilty party, for all of us to let them off the hook? Is that all it takes? Even India is getting actively involved

in tackling corruption. When was the last time we heard of a government minister, or top official, or corporate CEO being arrested on corruption charges,

here in Thailand? There was a recent story of jet ski operators in Koh Samui, extorting $1,000's of dollars out of tourists, with the threat of,

and occasionally acts of violence, right on the beach in front of dozens of tourists, for supposedly getting a scratch on a jet ski. When one tourist

caught this on video, and presented it to the authorities, the culprits were confronted, and forced to a pay a fine of 1,000 baht! I am sure they

have not stopped laughing since the incident. Unless Thailand gets serious, and starts introducing fines and jail sentenced that are in proportion

to the crime, nobody will take them seriously. Thailand will continue to be the laughing stock of the world. They will continue to be considered

"that 3rd world country with so much promise, that could not do ANYTHING, to help itself". Or, "the country that always shoots itself in the foot".

Thailand is rapidly approching a point of being way past redemption. If nobody does something truly gutsy or courageous, the time will pass, for

Thailand to turn things around. History may show Thailand as having achieved it's greatest apex of development in 2000-2005. History may show

it being all downhill from there. The Thai people nor the Thai government seem to have no realization of how serious things are, and how perilous a

time this is for the nation. Very, very, very few people here seem to get it. A country can only make so many mistakes before the world leaves it

behind. Especially when neighbors like Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, and others are making so much progress, and trying so hard. This makes

the lack of effort here seem all the more staggering, and shocking. Someone needs to act. So what if jobs are lost. So what if heads roll. So what if

people in power are humiliated, and their lives are ruined. So what. It is not too late for Thailand, but the time when it is, is rapidly approaching. Change

is hard. Progress is difficult. But, not impossible. Thailand is not beyond redemption. There are many good people here who would like to see things

different. Conviction, with fines of 500,000 baht and up, and jail terms of 5-10 years is a good place to start. Tony, of course would be a great example

for a first conviction. I would suggest a fine of 2,000,000 baht, and a jail term of 20 years for him. He deserves it. He earned it.

Yeah well even in China, which is noted for endemic corruption they are more proactive in trying to stamp it out by jailing and even executing corrupt officials, some of them holding very high government positions.

There was a "Santika type" night club fire in China in which there were a number of deaths, and the government wasted no time in jailing the corrupt people involved.

But here, in Thailand, 66 people died and the whole world knows that the fire was caused by a nest of corruption from top to bottom, including the involvement of the Thong Lor Mafia (oh sorry, I mean police department). Yet 8 months after the tragedy, not a single person is behind bars, and probably never will be.

It's very difficult to see anything changing any time soon. Too many pigs at the trough, grunting and snapping at each other to get the tastiest morsels, and totally oblivious of the effects all this may be creating in the outside world..

I sometimes think that the collective ego of the Thai nation is so off track that it will take a "Messiah" to arrest the decline of what was once a fine, happy, sensitive, polite and caring nation.(I talk of the people, not the ruling classes)